Active Imagination in Movement – Encountering the Other Within Us, Between Us, and in the World

The unrelated human being lacks wholeness, for he can achieve wholeness only through the soul, and the soul cannot exist without its other side, which is always found in ‘You.’ Wholeness is a combination of I and You, and these show themselves to be parts of a transcendent unity whose nature can only be grasped symbolically – Jung

Interweaving theoretical, experiential, cultural and clinical material through presentations and discussion, this workshop will explore dance/movement as a form of active imagination, with special attention to the living body in analytic practice. By listening to the body to access and express the imagination, individuals may discover inner-directed movement as a way to bridge the realms of conscious and unconscious, body and psyche, instinct and spirit, affect and image, memory and emergence.

Sometimes called “Authentic Movement,” this form of active imagination focuses attention on felt bodily sensations, impulses, multi-sensory images, feelings and emotions, which are then allowed to emerge as symbolic enactment. The work is done with one’s eyes closed in the presence of a witness, whose task it is to hold and contain the experience of the person moving.

Analysts use the connection between body and psyche as a central clinical tool, yet there may be few opportunities to foster the development of this dimension. This workshop offers a structure within which analysts can both have a practical experience of their own moving imagination as well as enrich their understanding of its application to verbal analytic practice.

Morning and afternoon sessions include Introduction, bodily awareness, reflection, and movement experience, toward dialogue and exchange. Participants are invited to wear comfortable clothing and to bring a notebook and/or drawing materials to record their images and experiences